Teen Drama With Zombies

DEATH WAS JUST A JOKE by N.C. Brooke begins with the disappearance of a high school athlete. At first, the characters appear to be mourning the murder of a young man, until the author reveals the post-apocalypse setting. I love the setup.

As if the survivor community hasn't experienced enough horror, a group of teens decide to use a Ouija board at a party, taking place outside of the protective fence. Unsurprisingly, events take a turn for the worst.

The pace is really slow, without much action...I felt like I was reading a zombie soap opera written for middle-schoolers. I still think Voices In The Sea is Broke's best work, and I wish the author would return to that writing style and sub-genre.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Blood Runs Cold

Jess is hoping to help kick her sister Tess' drug addiction by locking them together in their grandparents cabin. After a snowstorm blocks them in for a week or so, Jess' plan is so far working. One that is done behind her sister's back. But soon, Jess realizes they aren't alone in the secluded cabin like she had initially thought. Something horrifying stalks them in the snow. Something invisible.

It's Right There - Can't You See It? by N.C. Brooke is a story best read during a winter storm, rather than in the middle of summer, but it creeped me out just the same. While the snow stalker is fascinating, the story structure is a little too sloppy. There are many references to the sisters' grandparents, which don't seem to serve any purpose. I had hoped the family had some kind of history with the stalker...I expected Tess to share a flashback concerning her grandpa.

I also think bringing more characters into the story, besides Everett, is a weird choice. Mary's actions made no sense to me at all. Why did she run outside? The couples were behaving so strangely, I thought maybe they had ties to the stalker, but nope...just some random extras in the story. If the story had been limited to the three main characters, the storyline might have made more sense.

I enjoyed Voices In The Sea by Brooke much more.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Whispers In The Dark

Voices In The Sea by N.C. Brooke is a dark spin on a creature often found in folklore, but rarely found in horror. The author uses a few slight-of-hand details to keep readers guessing, which is pretty clever, considering the story begins in the present and then travels to the past. I thought I knew which characters would be safe, but I was fooled. By the time I realized what kind of monster the author conjured up, the story finished.

Brooke did such a great job twisting mythology into a nightmare, it seems a shame this is only a short story. I think there is a potential to turn this sailor's tale into a novella.

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The first week of January appears to have a monster theme. I'm always amazed at the various sources authors use to inspire their writing. Some ideas come from news headlines, some stories are based on more personal experiences. Other authors take the fairy tales of our childhood and transform them into the nightmares that haunt us even as adults.

Nothing impresses me more than an author who can take something old and turn it into something new...always expanding the genres.

As always.
AstraDaemon